Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many security passes giving access to his Department's premises are currently valid.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to his Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

Margot James: The Department does not provide specific details of the security measures it has in place to protect staff and visitors. It issues passes to civil servants, visitors, and to contractors undertaking work for the Department. These passes are issued taking into account both business and security needs.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much Levy Control Framework funding has been allocated to new solar photovoltaic projects awarded a Feed-in Tariff in 2016-17.

Jesse Norman: The Department intends to conduct a review of the balance of deployment caps between and within technologies, taking into account deployment patterns and wider government priorities. This will be published later this year and include estimates of the Levy Control Framework spend and underspend in the capped Feed-in Tariff budget for all scheme technologies.The scheme administrator, Ofgem E-Serve, publishes information on deployment compared to cap levels. This is available here.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's most recent estimate is of the underspend in the capped Feed-in Tariff budget for new solar photovoltaic and wind projects in 2016-17.

Jesse Norman: The Department intends to conduct a review of the balance of deployment caps between and within technologies, taking into account deployment patterns and wider government priorities. This will be published later this year and include estimates of the Levy Control Framework spend and underspend in the capped Feed-in Tariff budget for all scheme technologies.The scheme administrator, Ofgem E-Serve, publishes information on deployment compared to cap levels. This is available here.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will take steps at the UN Security Council or the UN Human Rights Council to support the creation of an international investigation into human rights violations in the Kasai provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK supports the UN Group of Experts in their investigations into the causes and drivers of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including human rights violations in the Kasai provinces. I made a statement on 29 March expressing my sincere condolences for the deaths of two of their members in the region. The UN Security Council has called on the Government of the DRC to swiftly investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. We welcome the UN inquiry into the events and their commitment to do everything possible to ensure that justice is done.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to promote provision of resources to the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo sufficient to protect civilians and support the organisation of free, fair and credible elections in 2017 in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The recent renewal of the MONUSCO mandate on 31 March focussed the mission on the protection of civilians and supporting the implementation of the 31 December political agreement, including elections. The UK successfully shaped Security Council negotiations to ensure the mission has the necessary resources to fulfil its core mandate.

Armed Conflict: Education

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to sign the Safe Schools Declaration.

Alok Sharma: While the UK Government welcomes the spirit of the Safe Schools Declaration, we remain concerned that the accompanying Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military use during Armed Conflict do not mirror the exact language of International Humanitarian Law.Under International Humanitarian Law, the UK already affords schools and educational establishments a high degree of protection during military operations. We take these international obligations very seriously and believe better implementation of, and compliance with, International Humanitarian Law by all parties to armed conflict provides the best protection for civilians, including children. For this reason, the UK Government has not signed the declaration.The UK Government will, however, continue to keep this policy under review.

Burma: Females

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on the protection and promotion of women's rights in that country.

Alok Sharma: ​The Government takes a leading position on the protection and promotion of women's rights in Burma. The last substantive engagement was when the Minister for the Commonwealth and UN, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns visited Burma last November in her capacity as the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. In that capacity she specifically raised the issue of sexual violence with the Burmese Minister of Defence, where she pressed him to handle allegations of sexual violence against women in a thorough and transparent manner. She also attended a workshop to address stigma related to sexual violence in conflict, co-hosted by the Embassy and Tearfund.In addition to political lobbying, protecting and promoting women's rights is mainstreamed throughout our programme work. A large part of the Department for International Development programme in Burma supports the women, peace and security agenda. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also funded, and continues to fund, organisations to help tackle sexual violence. As part of this we have translated the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict into Burmese and promoted its use locally.Human rights is central to our engagement with Burma, and we continue to press Burma to improve its human rights performance. To this end, the UK supported the Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in March, renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, who has done much to report on violations, including of women's rights.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to his Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

Alok Sharma: ​Civil Servants have the ability to work flexibly across government sites where there is a business need to do so. The issuing of all passes is controlled by the local Departmental Security teams which follow strict procedures and protocols. There is no business or security need to separate the information, therefore they are not recorded.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made by the Government on establishing the number of victims of IRA-Gaddifi sponsored violence in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: Establishing such numbers could be difficult, and the Northern Ireland Office does not hold information to allow us to establish this. The Lockerbie bombing was directly linked to Libya. It is more problematic to establish involvement of a third party when they are not directly responsible for a particular act.

Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether legal advice has been sought by the Government to confirm the territorial jurisdiction of (a) Lough Foyle and (b) Carlingford Lough before negotiations begin on the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: The Government’s position on Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough has not changed. The regulation of activities in the Loughs is the responsibility of the Loughs Agency, a cross-border body established under the Belfast Agreement of 1998. We remain fully committed to these arrangements and continue to work closely with the Irish Government over improvements to the management of the Loughs.Like the Irish Government, we do not anticipate these issues forming part of the negotiations over the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to establish a fund to compensate victims of IRA-Gaddafi sponsored violence in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: I have every sympathy for the victims of terrorist violence, for which there could be no possible justification. A Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme already operates in Great Britain. Responsibility for compensation of victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive, which oversees the Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The Government has made clear to the Libyan authorities that resolution of legacy issues remains a priority for us. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the issue of compensation in his meetings with Prime Minister Serraj and Deputy Prime Minister Maiteq during the London Ministerial on 31 October 2016. The Government will continue to encourage the Libyan authorities to engage with UK victims, and their legal representatives, seeking redress, including those seeking compensation. The Government position remains that it is not able to negotiate with the Libyan government on individual compensation claims, as these are not government-to-government claims. These are private matters best pursued directly with the Libyan authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides facilitation support to victims, their representatives and campaign groups, where it has been requested and is appropriate.

Northern Ireland Office: Data Protection

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) official and (b) official sensitive documents have been recorded as lost by his Department since 8 May 2015.

Kris Hopkins: During the period 8 May 2015 to the present day, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has recorded no losses of either official or official sensitive documents.

Northern Ireland Office: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to his Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

Kris Hopkins: The Northern Ireland Office does not record the number of people from other Government Departments holding security passes who access its premises.

Northern Ireland Office: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people are currently employed by his Department.

Kris Hopkins: As of February 2017, there were 133 staff working in the department; 78 employed directly by the Northern Ireland Office and 50 staff on loan or secondment. In addition, we have five temporary agency workers.

Department for Education

Written Questions: Government Responses

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 60529 tabled on 18 January 2017 by the hon. Member for Manchester Central.

Nick Gibb: Parliamentary question 60529 was answered on 18 April 2017.

Department for Education: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Caroline Dinenage: Spend on Travel, Subsistence and Hospitality can be found in the Department for Education’s annual report and accounts. The annual report and accounts for financial years 2010-11 to 2015-16 are accessible from the gov.uk website via the following link:www.gov.uk/government/publications

Children: Sanitary Protection

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue schools with sanitary products for children who may otherwise be unable to afford them.

Edward Timpson: As I indicated in my answer to question 68295 on 27 March, schools have discretion over how they use their funding and if they wish to make these products available they are free to do so.

Education: Standards

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet her counterparts in the devolved administrations to establish how best to tackle educational under-achievement across the UK.

Edward Timpson: As I stated in my response of 28 February, officials in the devolved administrations have regular engagement on topics of mutual interest and concern. Tackling educational under-achievement is a key priority for all parts of the UK; each administration has a strategy tailored to its own needs and circumstances, though effective practice is regularly shared.

Primary Education: Sports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2017 to Question 68369, what information she holds on the total funds included in the PE and Sport Premium allocation which was subsequently not paid in the (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 academic years; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The figures provided in answer to question 68369 were the total amounts paid to schools in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Truancy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many custodial sentences were handed out to parents for child truancy; and what the length of each such sentence was.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many parents were (a) prosecuted for and (b) found guilty of truancy in each of the last two years.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines were handed down to parents for child truancy in each of the last two years; and what the value of those fines was.

Edward Timpson: Statistics on truancy for 2014 and 2015 (latest currently available) are published by the Ministry of Justice in the “Criminal justice statistics outcomes by offence data tool”, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015.

STEM Subjects: Higher Education

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students studied for a degree in STEM subjects in each year since 2010.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have studied for a video games degree in each year since 2010.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students studying STEM degree subjects were from (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) non-EU countries in each year since 2010.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2015/16 and can be found at the following link: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/12-01-2017/sfr242-student-enrolments-and-qualifications Information on First Degree enrolments in STEM (including computer games) subjects, and by domicile prior to study, has been provided in the attached table from 2010. 



69829, 69830, 70116 tables
(PDF Document, 312.68 KB)

Primary Education: Sports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2017 to Question 68370, what plans her Department has to collect information on the number and proportion of primary school children who receive a minimum of two hours of sport and PE activity each week; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: As stated in the answer to question 68370, the Government does not set a target for how much curriculum time schools must dedicate to PE or specify the sports and activities that must be taught in schools. The new Active Lives Survey, which is run by Sport England, measures how people engage in sport and physical activity. The first set of results were published in January 2017. At this stage the results do not include data about children aged 5 to 15. This information, including data on levels of physical activity among children will be available from January 2019, when the first full set of results will be published.

Teachers: Recruitment

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to incentivise teachers to work in non-selective schools in (a) selective and (b) non-selective local authority areas.

Nick Gibb: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring we have high quality teachers in all our schools. A package of financial incentives for the next academic year (2017/18) is already in place to encourage more graduates to choose teaching as a profession and improve the supply of high quality teachers across the country. This includes new scholarships in geography and modern foreign languages, delivered by the learned societies in those subjects – and tax-free bursaries worth up to £30,000. The full list of bursaries for 2017/18 can be found at: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview We are also providing professional development for teachers, which enables all teachers to improve their practice. We are investing around £75 million in the Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund over the next three years. It will support high quality professional development for teachers and school leaders in the areas of the country (including opportunity areas) and the schools (those rated as category 3 or 4 by Ofsted) that need it most.Additionally, we have recently consulted on measures designed to increase the number of good schools places. Proposals included lifting the ban on the creation of new grammar schools and drawing further on the expertise of Higher Education Institutions, independent, and faith schools. Our consultation closed on 12 December 2016. We are now analysing the submissions and plan to publish our response in the spring.

Higher Education: Females

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students undertaking (a) full-time and (b) part-time courses at higher education institutions in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) the UK were women in each of the last 10 years.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The latest available statistics refer to the 2015/16 academic year and are published at the following link:https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/12-01-2017/sfr242-student-enrolments-and-qualifications The proportion of higher education enrolments that were female, by mode and location of study has been provided for the academic years 2006/07 to 2015/16 in the attached table.



69700 - table
(PDF Document, 304.35 KB)

Part-time Education

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) female and (b) male students have undertaken part-time (i) undergraduate and (ii) postgraduate courses in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The latest available statistics refer to the 2015/16 academic year and are published at the following link:https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/12-01-2017/sfr242-student-enrolments-and-qualifications Statistics on enrolments in part-time study by gender and level of study in the latest ten years for which data are available have been provided in the attached table.



69698 table
(PDF Document, 199.86 KB)

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2017 to Question 68547, how much of the £200 million planned to be spent in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20 will provide protection for those schools due to lose funding under the national funding formula.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2017 to Question 68547, how the funds remaining after the £200 million set to be spent on the National Funding Formula in 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been allocated; and how much of that funding is allocated to spending beyond 2020.

Nick Gibb: We have protected school funding in order that the amount per pupil remains the same during this Parliament. We will be spending an additional £500 million over and above this amount as we introduce the national funding formula. Of this, we will spend an extra £200 million a year in 2018-19 and 2019-20 on schools. The remaining funding will be spent on pupils with a high level of special educational needs in 2018-19 and 2019-20. These funds will provide stability, ensuring that no local authority will lose funding for high needs. Budgets beyond 2020 will be set in the next spending review. The additional funding for schools in 2018-19 and 2019-20 forms part of the overall school block allocation, within the dedicated schools grant (DSG), for those years. The DSG will provide for all the costs in 2018-19 and 2019-20 associated with the introduction of the national funding formula, including increases of up to 5.5% per pupil for schools due to gain funding, and significant protection for those due to lose.

Music: Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the finding in the research conducted by Sussex University's School of Education and Social Work, entitled Changes in secondary music provision over time 2012-16, on the reduction in the number of schools in which music was compulsory between 2012-13 and 2016-17; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's subject time series tables SFR48_2016 and SFR03_2017 what assessment she has made of the reasons for the 8.3 per cent reduction in the number of entries for GCSE music from 2009-10 to 2015-16; what steps she is taking to tackle that change; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: All pupils should have access to a well rounded education,‎ including the arts. All state funded schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils. Music is compulsory within the National Curriculum for 5 – 14 year olds in maintained schools. Entries into music GCSE fell between 2010 and 2012, rose between 2012 and 2015 and fell between 2015 and 2016. This does not suggest a consistent trend. The 8.3% reduction between 2010 and 2016 is partially accounted for by the reduction in the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4, which fell by 6.1 percent in the same period. Between 2011 and 2016, entries to GCSE music fell by 3.5% while the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 fell by 4.3%. The Government hopes that all schools will offer their pupils the opportunity to study music and a range of other arts GCSEs. It is, however, for individual schools to decide which GCSEs to offer.

Children: Day Care

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) support and (b) resources her Department provides to kinship carers.

Edward Timpson: Every local authority must publish a policy setting out their approach to promoting and supporting the needs of children living with kinship carers. This must address the needs of all children in kinship care, regardless of their legal status. It should be clear, regularly updated, and made freely and widely available. The support and resources that kinship carers receive will depend on the individual circumstances of the carer and child. Where a child is placed with a relative or friend under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, or is subject to a care order, the child is looked after and their carer must be approved as a foster care. The carer will be entitled to the same support as other foster carers, including a fostering allowance. Kinship carers in informal arrangements are treated equally with birth parents within the benefits system in relation to child benefit, child tax credits and other means tested benefits. The kinship carer might also be able to receive support from the child’s local authority if the child is assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. The Department has provided £560k of grant funding to the Family Rights Group until 2018 to continue providing an information and advice service for the families and friends, including carers, of children who are at risk or in the care system. As part of the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, the Department is also providing almost £5 million of funding over three years to the Family Rights Group and seven partner local authorities to deliver their ‘Lifelong Links’ project. This aims to develop lifelong support networks for children in the care system. In addition, in 2015-16 the Department provided £150k of funding to Grandparents Plus and their four partner organisations to develop an early help model to reach more kinship carers at an early stage, providing them with vital information and support.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners on Remand

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remand first receptions there were in each prison establishment in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time spent by prisoners on remand was in each prison establishment in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information available on the number of remand first receptions in prisons since 2010 can be found in the table below. Remand first reception describes a prisoner’s first movement into custody where the prisoner spends at least one day on remand.Table 1: Remand first receptions by establishment 20102011201220132014(1)2015 All63,78265,69559,45056,63254,91351,855 Altcourse1,6191,6781,5541,745..1,418 Ashfield4384121142..0 Bedford8891,0001,1661,140..971 Belmarsh1,4751,4901,1741,281..719 Birmingham2,2802,0491,9522,438..2,048 Brinsford227157232251..364 Bristol1,1501,1349131,151..890 Brixton2,1052,1737230..0 Bronzefield1,0531,008877848..819 Bullingdon1,0601,1121,048905..1,267 Cardiff1,6171,6281,6381,996..1,610 Chelmsford1,5061,6601,4171,220..1,162 Cookham Wood274187205114..196 Doncaster2,0151,8351,8151,898..1,518 Dorchester577626429335..0 Dovegate555543633569..226 Downview2437290..0 Durham1,5062,1321,9662,060..1,713 Eastwood Park804771656605..451 Elmley (Sheppey cluster)1,4481,5631,3781,296..1,341 Exeter1,1281,0971,1541,079..1,030 Feltham1,9832,2181,5621,080..232 Forest Bank2,1232,3432,0311,877..1,983 Foston Hall223322321338..310 Frankland1000..0 Glen Parva496314335414..173 Gloucester4775625398..0 Hewell1,2901,2911,1211,079..1,601 High Down1,7241,5771,6551,039..1,301 Hindley367522352174..0 Holloway1,0551,000853685..796 Holme House1,1801,3481,192823..973 Hull1,6771,8191,6101,527..1,257 Isle of Wight109977573..37 Lancaster Farms29418100..0 Leeds1,9042,0221,8052,108..1,844 Leicester887836778588..365 Lewes8378691,034907..711 Lincoln684508402386..416 Liverpool1,4591,4341,3441,316..1,673 Long Lartin0010..0 Low Newton243274295242..231 Manchester1811,2931,6371,589..1,409 New Hall418392394400..338 Northumberland202000..0 Norwich9801,0171,091985..869 Nottingham1,6612,1562,1172,035..1,698 Parc335229202220..267 Pentonville2,8252,8062,3142,067..2,352 Peterborough (2)1,3731,3751,1911,092..1,121 Preston1,4911,413960939..1,030 Reading626533438236..0 Shrewsbury35800..0 Stocken0000..1 Stoke Heath413363222..19 Styal613566563528..568 Swaleside (Sheppey cluster)0002..0 Swansea741622346580..725 Thameside001,1752,215..2,192 Wakefield2030..0 Wandsworth3,0793,2132,9332,851..3,059 Warren Hill2048611954..0 Werrington0264244140..137 Wetherby489570416243..274 Winchester1,1041,2221,2061,234..1,097 Woodhill1,1151,098974969..943 Wormwood Scrubs2,8772,7482,5442,436..2,110 Other / Not Recorded255219173198..0 Notes   (1) Due to data quality concerns and a problem with the supply of data between 1 April 2014 and 30 June 2014, an establishment breakdown of first receptions during 2014 is unavailable.  (2) HMP Peterborough has a male prison and a female prison on the site. The figures presented here are a total of the male and female prison receptions.  Data sources and quality   The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.The average length of time spent by prisoners on remand in each prison for each year since 2010 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: GCSE

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners completed GCSE English courses in the last (a) year, (b) two years and (c) five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Data is collected in respect of participation and achievement in Level 2 English courses (equivalent to GCSE standard). These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/576930/feandskills-OLASS-participation-and-achievement.xlsx These data refer to English courses funded by the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) in English prisons. Historically, data specific to the completion of GCSE English courses is not collected. In Wales responsibility for learning and skills in prisons is devolved to the Welsh Government and this specific data breakdown is not routinely held centrally, but is held locally at specific sites.

Prison Officers: Costs

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the average cost of employing a prison officer in bands 3 to 5 (a) this year and (b) in each year from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The average annual cost to NOMS (including employers’ pension and National Insurance contributions) of employing Prison Officers in Bands 3 to 5 in 2016-17 is set out in the table below [it should be noted that there will be variances depending on the prison and role of the prison officer].BandAverage Annual cost (£)Custodial Manager: Band 546,000Supervising Officer: Band 441,400Prison Officer Specialist: Band 441,300Prison Officer: Band 336,700 The cost of employing Prison Officers in future years cannot be accurately estimated as rates of pay are determined annually by the independent Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) and are therefore not yet known.

Samaritans

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice of 1 March 2017, Official Report, column 101WH, on suicide and self-harm in prison (England), how much funding her Department plans to allocate to the Samaritans; and what the targeted support for prison staff and prisoners provided by that charity will consist of.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The total amount of our funding to the Samaritans for 2017-18 has yet to be finalised, although we have confirmed already that they will receive the same amount as this year (£500k) to support the Listeners scheme, through which volunteer prisoners are trained to provide support to other prisoners in emotional distress. Founded in 1991, this is a very successful scheme through which over 90,000 face-to-face support meetings were facilitated in 2016. In addition to funding the Samaritans for the Listeners scheme, as part of plans to reduce levels of suicide and self-harm, we have agreed in principle to fund a number of other projects proposed by the Samaritans, and final decisions on the level of funding will be made by the end of the year. These additional projects include producing an online learning tool for prison staff, based on a similar product developed by the Samaritans for the rail industry, and piloting training for prisoners in building emotional resilience during their early days in custody, with the training to be delivered by released ex-Listeners.

Prisons: Utilities

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department has spent on utility bills in prisons which have been officially closed in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Where the Ministry of Justice has closed prisons, the level of services, such as heating, water and electricity, is reduced to that necessary to maintain the fabric of the buildings and ensure the sites remain safe and secure until final disposal. The expenditure on utility bills in prisons which have been officially closed in each of the last five years is set out in the table below: Utilities costs of prisons officially closed in the past five years  Financial year£2012-134,410,8252013-142,754,5722014-151,699,7522015-161,867,7532016-17 (to December 2016)508,359 Footnotes1. Utilities includes: fuel; electricity; gas; and water & sewage.2. The costs shown reflect invoices which have been submitted and paid. There is a time lag between services which have been supplied and the submission of invoices by suppliers. The figures may not, therefore, reflect the extent of the services received during the period.3. The figures provided are drawn from our central accounting system and although care is taken when processing data, this may be subject to the inaccuracies and inputting errors inherent in any large scale recording system.4. Expenditure includes that at local (establishment) level and central (MoJ Estates Directorate) level.

Ministry of Defence

Iraq: Islamic State

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Daesh militants have been killed or wounded by British forces in Iraq from 2 December 2015 to 2 December 2016 by (a) the date of each attack which killed or wounded a militant, (b) the number of militants killed or wounded in each attack, (c) whether they were wounded or killed, (d) the vicinity of the attack and (e) the type of weapon used.

Mike Penning: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 30 March 2017.The correct answer should have been:

During the period in question it is assessed that there were a total of 111 enemy wounded in action and a total of 5291,306 enemy killed in action as a result of UK air strikes. The UK cannot visit strike sites and conduct detailed investigations on the ground in Iraq. Therefore the number of combatants killed and/or wounded is an estimated figure only.I will write to the hon. Member shortly with further details.

Mike Penning: During the period in question it is assessed that there were a total of 111 enemy wounded in action and a total of 5291,306 enemy killed in action as a result of UK air strikes. The UK cannot visit strike sites and conduct detailed investigations on the ground in Iraq. Therefore the number of combatants killed and/or wounded is an estimated figure only.I will write to the hon. Member shortly with further details.

Military Bases: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on renovating and upgrading barracks in the City of York local authority area in the last 15 years.

Mark Lancaster: Details of the amount spent on upgrading barracks within the City of York local authority area over the last 15 years are not held.However in financial year 2015-16 some £1.4 million was spent on upgrading Imphal BarracksWhile there is no Defence requirement for Imphal Barracks after 2031, the necessary refurbishment works represent value for money to avoid any costly repairs and to ensure the site remains safe and compliant for the occupants over the next 15 years.

Ministry of Defence: Data Protection

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) official and (b) official sensitive documents have been recorded as lost by his Department since 8 May 2015.

Mark Lancaster: Between May 2015 and March 2017, the number of OFFICIAL documents recorded as lost/stolen was 1,765. This figure includes the loss/theft of 1,737 ID cards, which are categorised as OFFICIAL documents.Between May 2015 and March 2017, the number of OFFICIAL SENSITIVE documents recorded as lost/stolen was 188.The Ministry of Defence treats all breaches of security very seriously and requires all breaches to be reported regardless of whether there is firm evidence of breach or otherwise (for example if there is just an inability to account for an individual document for a period of time). All incidents are subjected to an initial security risk assessment, with further action taken on a proportionate basis.

Armed Forces: Education

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mandatory education is provided to armed forces personnel aged 16 or 17-years old who are not undertaking an apprenticeship in order to ensure that they complete 280 guided learning hours per year towards accredited qualifications.

Mark Lancaster: All Armed Forces recruits under the age of 18 are enrolled on an apprenticeship. They also receive education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it. The Armed Forces remain the UK's largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. OFSTED regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve. All apprenticeships require a minimum of 280 Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) within a 12-month period.Over 95% of all recruits, no matter what their age or prior qualifications, enrol in an Apprenticeship Programme each year. Apprenticeships ensure that Service personnel will gain a Level 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy, which is the equivalent to GCSE (Grade A-C).Since September 2012, the Department has adopted Functional Skills qualifications (FS (English) and FS (mathematics)) as the accredited measures of literacy and numeracy skills for all Service personnel accessing in-Service literacy and numeracy provision. Defence FS provision will be a blend of in-house and external provision.

Army: Recruitment

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of enlisted army recruits aged (a) under and (b) over 18-years old have a background in the care system.

Mark Lancaster: During the recruiting year 2016-17, approximately one per cent of under 18 year-olds who enlisted to the Army were subject to a Care Order.For over 18s, from the information held centrally, no enlistees declared that they had been subject to a Care Order*. Thirteen per cent chose not to declare this information.*For over 18s, information was available for 89% of enlistees.

Armed Forces

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of enlisted soldiers stated on their application form that one or both parents are or were in the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster: This information is not routinely recorded, or held, as part of the recruiting process.

Armed Forces: Training

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of soldiers who enlist under 18-years old arrive to train without Level (a) 1 and (b) 2 qualifications in both English and mathematics.

Mark Lancaster: Qualification statistics for candidates who entered the Army Foundation College, Harrogate (AFC(H)) in September 2016 are shown below: Entered withoutLiteracyNumeracyLevel 2 (A*-C)71 %79 %Level 1 (D-G)49 %67 % All under 18 enlistees attend AFC(H), except a very small number who will turn 18 before completion of Phase 1 training.

Ministry of Defence: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many security passes giving access to his Department's premises have been issued in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster: The information on numbers of security passes issued is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to his Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

Mark Lancaster: Civil Servants have the ability to work flexibly across Government sites where there is a business need to do so. The issuing of all passes is controlled by the local Departmental security teams who follow strict procedures and protocols. Information on the number of people holding security passes for other Government departments who are granted access to the Ministry of Defence premises is not centrally recorded.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are currently employed by his Department.

Mark Lancaster: As of 1 January 2017 the total headcount of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian personnel strength was 57,870. This information is published within the MOD quarterly civilian personnel statistics report 2017 which can be found on the Gov.uk website at the following link – https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-civilian-personnel-quarterly-report-2017

Ministry of Defence: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many security passes giving access to his Department's premises are currently valid.

Mark Lancaster: The information on numbers of security passes currently valid is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of recruits at ITC Catterick and ATC Pirbright have enrolled for an intermediate level apprenticeship study for L2 qualifications in English and mathematics.

Mike Penning: The Army is the UK's largest provider of apprenticeships as an employer.All direct entry into The Infantry Training Centre Catterick Infantry are enrolled on a Level 2 apprenticeship, as part of the combined Combat Infantryman's Course. Those who have progressed from Army Foundation College Harrogate will already have enrolled onto the apprenticeship.The requirement for a Level 2 apprenticeship is that apprentices achieve Level 1 Functional Skills in English and maths. Where the individual apprentice already holds Level 1 qualifications in English and maths or demonstrates a higher level of capability in those subjects, they are given the opportunity to work towards Level 2 during their apprenticeship. Of the Infantry soldiers in active learning in academic year 2015/16, 11% have gained Level 2 in maths and 12% have gained Level 2 in English within the Army. The number of personnel who work towards a Level 2 but who do not complete the exams is not centrally held.Apprenticeships are not delivered at Army Training Centre, Pirbright as they are provided to recruits as part of their specialised trade training, and not during initial training.

Armed Forces: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether instructors at all phase 1 training sites where people aged under 18 are present are required to have disclosure and barring service clearance; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The Armed Forces take their responsibilities toward all their people extremely seriously, particularly where those personnel are under the age of 18. Disclosure and safeguarding checks are one aspect of our safeguarding provisions for those in the 16-18 age group. There is no legal requirement for disclosure and safeguarding checks to be carried out on all instructors at all phase 1 training sites, but the Department's policy is that such checks should be considered by the employing authorities of all Phase 1 and Phase 2 establishments.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of new army recruits with (a) grades A* to C, (b) grades D to G and (c) without any GCSE English and mathematics qualification left the army before completing phase 2 training in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mike Penning: In 2016-17 the proportion of those enlisted to the Regular Army as soldiers that were discharged prior to completion of Phase 2 training with grades A* to C, D to G in GCSE English and/or mathematics, and those without either, are as follows: Training Year 2016-17English LanguageGCSE grades on entryProportion not completing trainingA*-C20%D-G26%None35% Training Year 2016-17MathematicsGCSE grades on entryProportion not completing trainingA*-C19%D-G26%None34%   This does not include GCSE-equivalent qualifications.

Veterans: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of service leavers making use of the Career Transition Partnership were early service leavers in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of early service leavers made use of the Career Transition Partnership in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of early service leavers were in employment six months after discharge in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: Following the 'Veterans' Transition Review' conducted by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC in 2014, the Ministry of Defence implemented initiatives to ensure Early Service Leavers (ESLs) were offered resettlement support from the Career Transition Partnership Future Horizons (CTPFH) programme to tackle barriers to employment, education or further training. The Department does not hold information on the number of ESLs who used CTP services between 1 October 2013 and 1 October 2015. Between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016, a total of 956 ESLs used the CTPFH programme (from a total of 1,144 eligible ESLs) which equates to a take-up rate of 84%. During financial year 2015-16, 11,163 Service Leavers (SLs) used CTP services, which includes the 956 ESLs who used the CTPFH programme between October 2015 and March 2016. Of the 599 SLs who used the CTPFH in this period and who had their employment information recorded, 449 (74%) were employed six months post-discharge. The vast majority of SLs who used the CTPFH were ESLs, although these figures also include some SLs who were eligible to access the Core Resettlement Programme or the Employment Support Programme but instead opted to use the CTPFH programme.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of army recruits aged (a) under 18 and (b) over 18-years old were injured out of training in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mike Penning: Between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016, 267 untrained Army personnel were medically discharged with musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, of these, 11 were under the age of 18. This is set against a backdrop of an untrained average yearly intake over the past three training years of 7,050 of which 1,790 are under 18.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many trainee soldiers appear in the Army Foundation College records as having committed self-harming behaviour in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mike Penning: In training year 2015-16, 1,370 untrained Army personnel arrived at the Army Foundation College. During that same period 17 untrained Army personnel had a deliberate self-harm incident recorded at the College. Some of these personnel may have commenced training the previous year.We take the duty of care to our personnel very seriously. Every unit has a comprehensive welfare system, which is widely publicised. The network of agencies includes chaplains, Equality and Diversity Advisers, Women's Royal Voluntary Service, and Unit Welfare Officers. Personnel also have access to the Army confidential helpline, and SpeakOut the Army's helpline.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether data is collected on the extent of bullying in initial army training establishments.

Mike Penning: All allegations of bullying in the Armed Forces, including those made at initial Army training establishments, are taken seriously, investigated as appropriate and recorded.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many persons under the age of 18-years old resident in each (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency were recruited to the armed forces in each year since 2009-10.

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information in the format requested.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many disciplinary investigations involving instructors have been conducted at each phase 1 training centre where people aged under 18 were present in each of the last 10 years; what the (a) related allegations and (b) outcomes were of each of those investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Defence does not hold the specific information in the format requested. To obtain the information would involve examining individual case records and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Military Police investigations involving staff there have been at each phase 1 training centre where people aged under 18 were present in each of the last 10 years; what the (a) related allegations and (b) outcomes were of each of those investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many residential properties managed by Annington there are in each of the City of York local authority area disposal sites referred to in a Better Defence Estate, published by his Department on 7 November 2016.

Mark Lancaster: There are 327 Annington Homes Ltd residential properties in the City of York Local Authority area. These properties provide housing for all the Barracks in the area.

Ministry of Defence: Aviation

Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to expand general aviation access to his Department's airfields as proposed in the Government's 2015 Aviation Strategy.

Mark Lancaster: The Department continues to encourage General Aviation (GA) access to military airfields wherever possible, on a prior permission required basis.We have further increased the publication of Defence Aerodrome Manuals on Station and Service flying club websites to provide GA pilots with better access to detailed aeronautical information. More generally, should a civilian GA pilot wish to fly into a military aerodrome then the local RAF Flying Clubs' Association club can provide information on military flying procedures and how best to operate locally.In the past year a Military-Civil Air Safety Day was held at RAF Halton in association with the General Aviation Safety Council and a further two events are planned at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and RAF Shawbury later this year. These fly-in events are attended by between 20-50 civil registered aircraft. They provide the opportunity for GA Pilots to visit military air bases and receive briefings on the flying activities undertaken there, as well as other topical safety matters. There is also the opportunity to meet military aviators to exchange views and promote better understanding of both communities.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobseeker's Allowance

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on claimants of jobseeker's allowance who have their entitlement stopped and subsequently lose their entitlement to housing benefit.

Caroline Nokes: Housing Benefit can continue to be paid on the grounds of low income if a claimant loses their entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance. Therefore, the Department has not undertaken any assessment of the effect of losing Jobseeker’s Allowance on Housing Benefit claimants.

Social Security Benefits: Liverpool City Region

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region were subject to the benefit cap in each year since August 2013.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households in receipt of benefits in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region have been subject to the reduced benefit cap since November 2016.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many female lone parents in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region have been affected by the reduced benefits cap since November 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The number of households in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region that had their Housing Benefit capped in each year since August 2013 is available in Stat-Xplore. The proportion of households that had their Housing Benefit capped in each year since August 2013 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs  The total number of households and the number of female lone parent households in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region that had their Housing Benefit capped since November 2016 will be published in Stat-Xplore on 4th May 2017, as part of the next scheduled Benefit Cap Official Statistics release. The proportion of households that had their Housing Benefit capped since November 2016 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Housing Benefit: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Garston and Halewood constituency were (a) in receipt of housing benefit and (b) had one or more tenants receiving (i) disability living allowance or (ii) personal independence payments in each year since April 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Available information, including HB recipients by different locations, can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Housing Benefit: Liverpool City Region

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Liverpool City Region were (a) in receipt of housing benefit and (b) had one or more tenants receiving (i) disability living allowance or (ii) personal independence payments in each year since April 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Available information, including HB recipients by different locations, can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Employment: Musculoskeletal Disorders

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to further consult people with musculoskeletal conditions following the conclusion of the Improving Lives Disability Employment consultation.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government wants all disabled people and people with a long term health condition to have the opportunity to work and share in the economic and health benefits that appropriate work can bring. That is why we published ‘Improving Lives the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ setting out the action we plan to take and starting a far-reaching, national debate on what more we can do to ensure everyone, including people with musculoskeletal conditions, is supported to reach their full potential. During our three-month consultation on the Green Paper we heard from a wide range of stakeholders, including organisations who work with and represent people with a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions. We are now taking stock of what we have heard and will then be setting out our next steps for the agenda.

Council Tax Benefits: Liverpool City Region

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region were in receipt of council tax benefit subject for each year from April 2010 until April 2013.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested for Liverpool Local Authorities is published and available for each month from November 2008 to February 2013 and can be found in Table 10 of the publications at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefit-caseload-statistics--2 Council Tax Benefit (CTB) was replaced in April 2013 by the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme and in England the Department for Communities and Local Government is now responsible for these statistics. The Scottish and Welsh Governments have similar responsibility. The information requested for Garston and Halewood Parliamentary Constituency was not readily available during that period and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However a Parliamentary Constituency breakdown for CTB was produced as a one-off exercise for January 2011 and this is published at:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107093842/http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hb_ctb_parlc_jan11.xls

Housing Benefit: Liverpool City Region

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Garston and Halewood Constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region received housing benefit subject to a non-dependent deduction in each year since April 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested for each year since 2010 is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Latest data (November 2016) shows the number of Housing Benefit claimants subject to a non-dependent deduction in Garston and Halewood constituency is 474. In the Liverpool City Region it is 6017. Further information including HB recipients with non-dependents by location can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Housing Benefit: Liverpool City Region

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) Garston and Halewood constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region were in receipt of housing benefit subject to the spare room subsidy in each year since April 2013.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Garston and Halewood constituency in receipt of housing benefit subject to the spare room subsidy were living in (a) two or (b) three bedroom properties in each year since April 2013.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Liverpool City Region in receipt of housing benefit subject to the spare room subsidy were living in (a) two or (b) three bedroom properties in each year since April 2013.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Garston and Halewood Constituency in receipt of housing benefit had (a) been subject to the spare room subsidy and (b) one or more tenants receiving disability living allowance or personal independent payments in each year since April 2013.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Liverpool City Region in receipt of housing benefit had (a) been subject to the spare room subsidy and (b) one or more tenants receiving (i) disability living allowance or (ii) personal independence payments in each year since April 2013.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is in the tables below, with the exception that providing a subset of the caseloads to where disability living allowance or personal independence payment is received is not possible without disproportionate cost. Table A – Housing Benefit Spare Room Subsidy Caseload by property size, Garston and Halewood, May 2013 - May 2016  All Cases2-bed3-bedOther no of bedroomsMay 20132,0755101385180May 20141,7904301210150May 20151,6503951110140May 20161,5003551020125 Notes:Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) administrative data.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum due to rounding. Table B – Housing Benefit Spare Room Subsidy Caseload by property size, Liverpool City Region, May 2013 - May 2016  All Cases2-bed3-bedOther no of bedroomsMay 201328,8009,56017,3901,845May 201424,4207,97014,9901,460May 201522,7507,40013,9951,350May 201620,7906,89012,6801,220 Notes:Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) administrative data.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum due to rounding.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Tour Operators

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that travel companies comply with the recommendations of the 2015 independent inquiry into customer health, safety, welfare, relations and crisis management of Thomas Cook.

Tracey Crouch: The government continues to work closely with Thomas Cook and the rest of the industry on the revising of consumer protections, including the Package Travel Directive, which will improve the safety of tourists at home and abroad.

Charities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on (a) access to funding for the charity sector and (b) the charity sector in general.

Mr Rob Wilson: The Government has a long term plan and strategy to make sure that the sector is supported. Given the sector’s diversity, we recognise that there could be a broad range of implications and we are carefully assessing the impact of leaving the EU on the voluntary and community sector. We are also continuing to gather information and listen to the concerns and priorities of the charity sector.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many security passes giving access to her Department's premises are currently valid.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to her Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many security passes giving access to her Department's premises have been issued in each year since 2010.

Matt Hancock: Civil Servants have to ability to work flexibly across government sites where there is a business need to do so. The issuing of all passes is controlled by the local Departmental Security teams who follow strict procedures and protocols. DCMS does not manage the local Security team for its main premises, that is done by HMT.Therefore the information requested is not centrally held by the department.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people are currently employed by her Department.

Matt Hancock: This information is available in the ONS Public Sector Employment Statistics last published on 15 March 2017: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetableBackground

Home Office

Members: Correspondence

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 56679, tabled on 7 December 2016, by the hon. Member for Halton.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The hon. Member's question was answered on 19 December 2017.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is any regional variation in the frequency of police cells being used as places of safety for people detained under section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Brandon Lewis: Data on the use of police stations as places of safety for people detained under section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983 are not currently available. The Home Office began collecting mandatory data on detentions under section 135 of the 1983 Act in April 2016 as part of the Home Office Annual Data Requirement. The Home Office intends to publish these data as part of the ‘Police powers and procedures’ statistical bulletin in Autumn 2017. The Code of Practice for the 1983 Act recommends a planned decision on the individual’s destination, and therefore it should almost never be necessary to use a police station as a place of safety for people removed under section 135.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to his Department's premises with that pass, by Department.

David Mundell: Civil Servants require the ability to work flexibly across government sites where there is a business need to do so. The issuing of all passes is controlled by the local Departmental Security teams who follow strict procedures and protocols. Information on the number of tenants holding security passes from other government departments who are granted access to Scotland Office premises is not centrally recorded.

Scotland Office: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people are currently employed by his Department.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly.

Scotland Office: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many security passes giving access to his Department's premises are currently valid.

David Mundell: As at 31 March 2017, there were 75 valid Scotland Office security passes allowing access to Departmental premises.

Scotland Office: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many security passes giving access to his Department's premises have been issued in each year since 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office issued the following number of security passes to departmental staff in each year since 2010: YearNumber of Passes Issued201028201125201219201326201422201528201637

Trade: Scotland

Mary Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the UK single market to Scotland.

David Mundell: I refer my honourable Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the honourable members for Somerton and Frome, Ribble Valley, Pudsey and South Leicestershire.

Welfare State: Scotland

James Cleverly: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent steps he has taken to transfer welfare powers to the Scottish Government.

David Mundell: We continue to progress the transfer of welfare powers in the Scotland Act 2016, most recently enabling the Scottish Parliament to legislate for carers benefits, disability benefits and payments made from the regulated social fund. I look forward to seeing how the Scottish Government use these extensive new powers.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Data Protection

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) official and (b) official sensitive documents have been recorded as lost by his Office since 8 May 2015.

Chris Skidmore: The Cabinet Office takes its data handling responsibilities extremely seriously and has various measures in place to identify, handle, respond and report (as and where necessary) to any losses of its documents or other information. The information requested is not held centrally. All losses are assessed and responded to individually and on a case by case basis with all possible mitigating actions being taken and in full compliance of our legal and other responsibilities.

Civil Servants: Training

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants have received training from the Digital Academy in the last six months.

Chris Skidmore: The Digital Academy has trained 1,533 civil servants on digital and agile courses between October 2016 and March 2017.

Prime Minister: Uber

Wes Streeting: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings were held between civil servants, advisers or Ministers of 10 Downing Street and Uber between May 2010 and July 2016.

Chris Skidmore: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 18 April 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Details of Ministers and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations, are published routinely on Gov.uk Information about meetings between other Civil Servants and external organisations is not centrally held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.More broadly, I would note that the Government is aware of concerns regarding the increase in the size of the private hire market and the impact of new and innovative ways of working on traditional business models. The Government supports choice for consumers and wants to see both taxis and private hire vehicles prosper.

Chris Skidmore: Details of Ministers and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations, are published routinely on Gov.uk Information about meetings between other Civil Servants and external organisations is not centrally held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.More broadly, I would note that the Government is aware of concerns regarding the increase in the size of the private hire market and the impact of new and innovative ways of working on traditional business models. The Government supports choice for consumers and wants to see both taxis and private hire vehicles prosper.

Department of Health

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has commissioned or published reports on the use of medicinal cannabis.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department of Health part funded the Cannabinoid Use in Progressive Inflammatory brain Disease study through the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme. The report of this study was published in February 2015 and is available on the NIHR Journals Library website at:http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/volume-19/issue-12#abstract

Hepatitis

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration he has given to the development of a national plan to increase the number of people tested for hepatitis C.

Nicola Blackwood: A cross-government expert group on viral hepatitis is being established to provide strategic direction and advice around hepatitis C (and other viral hepatitides). This group will be a forum to explore operational and implementation issues and find the best ways to enact our commitments at local, regional and national level. It is anticipated that increasing testing will be considered along with ensuring linkage to care and treatment and provision of prevention services. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines are available to help raise awareness of, and testing for, hepatitis C infection in people at increased risk of infection.Progress in tackling hepatitis C is summarised in Public Health England’s “Hepatitis C in the UK 2016 report - Working towards its elimination as a major public health threat.”

NHS: Pay

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the potential effect of public sector pay restraint on recruitment and retention in the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: The NHS Pay Review Body and Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration Body are independent bodies that have been in place for decades, and are led by experts that consider written and oral evidence about the recruitment, retention and motivation of National Health Service staff. They gather evidence from many stakeholders, not just the government, including NHS trades unions, NHS Employers, NHS Providers, NHS Improvement, Health Education England and NHS England. Based on that evidence the Pay Review Bodies prepare reports for government which make recommendations on the level of pay award that will enable the NHS to continue to recruit, retain and motivate the staff it needs. The reports consider carefully a range of issues including affordability of the workforce and the prevailing public sector pay policy. On 28 March this year the Government accepted the Pay Review Bodies recommendation for a 1% pay increase for all NHS staff for 2017/18, which will be in addition to incremental pay for those staff that are eligible.

Hepatitis

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with hepatitis C who are engaged with specialist services but have not been initiated on to hepatitis C treatment.

Nicola Blackwood: Currently this information is not centrally collected. However, Public Health England produces an annual report of hepatitis in England which sets out estimates of diagnosed and undiagnosed hepatitis C and treatment activity. NHS England is working with Public Health England and National Health Service trusts leading Hepatitis C Operational Delivery Networks to develop a national registry of all patients with diagnosed hepatitis C. It is anticipated that following roll out of a national registry, improved data on patients with hepatitis C engaged with specialist services but not yet initiated on treatment will be available by the summer.

Hepatitis: Leicestershire

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in Leicestershire who (a) are estimated to be living with hepatitis C, (b) have been diagnosed with hepatitis C and (c) were able to access hepatitis C treatment in 2016-17.

Nicola Blackwood: Local authorities can estimate the hepatitis C prevalence (estimate how many people have hepatitis C), have been diagnosed and are eligible for treatment in their area using the hepatitis C template at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-commissioning-template-for-estimating-disease-prevalenceExact data on the number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C by area is not collected centrally, however the estimated total infected population in Leicestershire is 1,495 of which approximately 60% are likely to be diagnosed.To the end of March 2017, the Operational Delivery Network covering Leicester treated 264 individuals.

Tobacco

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2016 to Question HL3875, on tobacco, if his Department will collect data on the use of snus and other chewed tobacco products.

Nicola Blackwood: The 2016 Health Survey for England collects data on the use of non-smoked tobacco, which includes snus and chewing tobacco. The 2017 Survey will collect the same data. The results of the 2016 survey are scheduled to be published by NHS Digital by the end of the year.